America's Cup: Where to sip, nosh and watch

Emirates Team New Zealand sails past the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge back to its waterfront base after a training run for the America's Cup, May 23. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

If you're visiting the San Francisco Bay area for the America's Cup, there are the obvious choices for watching the sailing spectacle's races, July 4 through Sept. 21. Those are America's Cup Village at the Marina Green and America's Cup Park at Piers 27/29.

But if you were hoping to enjoy the action with a cocktail in one hand -- and perhaps a lovely nosh in the other -- here are a few more possibilities.

The America's Cup Sports Bar pop-up

The planet's biggest pop-up bar will be popping up for the summer on Pier 27, with Eric Rubin, of Hog & Rocks and Tres Agaves fame, and Karl Hasz (Cyrus, Farina and Tres Agaves) at the helm. If all goes according to plan, the 12,000-sq. ft. sports bar will open on the Fourth of July -- serving cocktails designed by mixology maven Scott Beattie -- and remain open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 11 to 11 on Fridays and Saturdays through the summer, with brunch service on the weekends. Details: americascup.com/sportsbar.

New Zealand Yacht Club pop-up

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New Zealand restaurateur Tony Stewart is launching a pop-up, the Waiheke Island Yacht Club, on Pier 29, right near the America's Cup Village concert stage. According to Tablehopper blogger Marcia Gagliardi, who got the scoop directly from Stewart when she was in New Zealand in April, the pop-up will start serving prix fixe lunches and dinners on July 4, add brunch service in August and remain open until New Year's Eve, long after the last sails are furled. Find more details at tablehopper.com/chatterbox in Gagliardi's June 11 post, and catch a peek at facebook.com/WaihekeIslandYachtClub.

The Piers

With a prime waterside view of the action, San Francisco's The Piers restaurants on Piers 1½, 3 and 5 are doing special America's Cup menus beginning in July. Watch the boats, then duck into Charles Phan's atmospheric whiskey lounge, Hard Water (hardwaterbar.com), on Pier 3 for an America's Cup cocktail ($10), made with whiskey, American vermouths and Amari.

The Plant Cafe Organic (theplantcafe.com) on Pier 3 will be offering Catamaran Crab Cakes ($12) with avocado salsa, Oysters Overboard ($17 for half a dozen), and several cocktails ($11), including a Fog Horn (a gin-based riff on a Dark and Stormy), a Champagne-based Tomorrow We Sail and Red Horizon Martini that combines vodka, vermouth, orange bitters and muddled berry.

And over on Pier 1½, La Mar Cebicheria Peruana (lamarcebicheria.com/san-francisco) will be offering a Peruvian Regatta feast ($19.95), with seafood and vegetarian prix fixe menu options.

Presidio Social Club

The Presidio Social Club is rolling out a menu of suitable nautical libations ($12) and bar bites in honor of the America's Cup. Think PSC Grog (Zaya rum, lime, bitters and beer over ice), a Sail Reefer (Mt. Gay Rum and Red Stripe Beer) and a Zaya Dark and Stormy, although we're hoping the weather will remain sunny and fine. Built in a 1903 military barracks in San Francisco's Presidio National Park, the Social Club may not boast great Cup views, but it's close enough to the water to have become a popular post-sailing hangout. Details: presidiosocialclub.com.

Luella in a Bag

A number of other San Francisco restaurants are getting in on America's Cup fever by offering specialty cocktails, even if they're nowhere near the sea-spray action, but if you're looking for picnic fare to take to the races, Luella is doing America's Cub grab-and-go picnics. Pick up a reserved-in-advance, Luella-in-a-bag -- fried chicken asparagus, spicy slaw, watermelon-feta salad and strawberry shortcake; $48 for two people -- curbside in Russian Hill, then head for the water. Details: luellasf.com.

Alioto's Restaurant

After 88 years on Fisherman's Wharf, of course Alioto's is celebrating this summer with an America's Cup prix fixe dinner ($88 for two) that includes clam chowder, cioppino and tiramisu. And if you happen to be crewing aboard one of the race boats, Alioto's is doing crew discounts.